The Last Dragon Shifter (Shifter World - Book Eleven) (Series of 13 Short Stories)
Chapter Nine: Kidnapped...Again

Sharissa opened her eyes with a moan. Her mouth tasted horrible, and her head was pounding.

“Shar. Are you awake?”

Josie’s worried voice had Shar trying to sit up with a moan. She felt a tug on her hands and feet and realized she was tied up.

“Try not to move too much.” Maddy whispered.

“What is going on?” Shar hissed as she turned her head to her sisters.

“The hunters and Humans are going around, breaking up Shifter and Human couples.” Josie whispered.

Shar groaned. “They think we’re humans.”

“It’s the eyes.” Maddy said.

“Great.” Shar groaned. “Who else did they snag?”

“Us, you, and Pearl. Not to mention the six women who were on vacation with their Shifter husbands.” Josie said as she laid her head back.

“Where are we?” Shar asked as she tried to look around them.

“In a van, if my hearing is correct.” Maddy said as she leaned her head against her sister’s shoulder.

“Where are Tamara and Saffron?” Shar asked. “They have colored eyes too.”

“They had already left the hotel.” Maddy whispered.

“Where’s Pearl at?” Shar asked as she tried to turn to see behind her.

“They knocked her out, really good.” Josie whispered. “When the two men snagged us, after killing Dom and Rolando, she flipped. And when they killed Dylan, I think she almost exploded. It took two men to get her down, and they used so much of that crap on her, I’ll be surprised if she wakes up in a day.”

Shar growled. “The man who took me, he shot Dustin in the chest.”

“Thank the Goddesses, we’re Fated Mates.” Maddy whispered.

“What about the six Shifters who are married to the six Humans?” Shar asked.

Maddy cleared her throat and Josie sighed heavily.

“Two of them were shot, not sure if they’re dead or alive. Two were hit over the head and didn’t see what happened to the other two, I was doused with chloroform before they got to the last two.” Maddy whispered.

“I think we should start having mixed couples join the community early.” Shar whispered.

“Agreed.” The twins said in unison.

“Even if their Shifter is dead, they will probably be on our side in the coming wars.” Shar said as she wiggled her wrists and ankles.

They were tied up tight, with ropes. Shar felt her wrist itch and shifted her body so she was sitting up, her wrists against the wall of the van.

“How long have we not been moving?” Shar asked as she looked at her sisters.

“About an hour.” Maddy whispered.

Shar nodded. “Have you heard anything they’ve said?”

The twins shook their heads.

“No one has been near the van since it stopped.” Jodie whispered.

Shar looked at the six women who were still unconscious. She has nine women she needs to save, ten, including herself.

“What’s the plan?” Josie asked.

Shar rolled her shoulders. “I’m going to Shift and break us out of here.”

Both women nodded, their eyes open wide.

“Do you have a better idea?” She asked as she looked at them.

The twins shook their heads.

Shar nodded, then concentrated on shifting.

Her claws popped out first, and she used them to cut her rope. Once her hands were free, she sliced through the ropes at her ankles, then moved so she was crouched in the small space, ready to shift.

A loud noise outside the van, had her frozen in place, mid-shift.

“They’re back.” Maddy hissed.

Shar backtracked her shift, then laid down and closed her eyes.

The twins closed their eyes as they laid against each other. The back of the van opened, and they could hear voices.

“They’re all still out.” A man said.

“Let’s get them to the boss.” Another man said, then the doors were closed again.

Shar opened her eyes and stared at the back of the van.

Boss?

“Did he say, boss?” Maddy hissed.

Shar nodded. “He sure did.”

“So that means this wasn’t random.” Josie whispered.

“Apparently not.” Shar said as she moved to sit up again.

“Plan?” Maddy asked as she looked at the First Fated Mate.

Shar smiled. “We’ll let them take us to their boss.”

“Do you think the guys will replace us?” Josie asked.

Shar looked at her wrist, which was still itchy. When it started to glow, she chuckled. “I think they already have.”

“Mother Fuckers!” Dustin hollered as he threw a chair across the room.

“Calm down, Brother.” Daryl said as he placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

Dustin growled as he shoved his brother away from him. “Don’t tell me to calm down! You still have your mate!”

“Hey, don’t yell at us because you have a slow ass wife…” Drezden shut his mouth when he saw the look on his brother’s face.

“That’s enough.” Tamara said softly as she placed her hand on her mate’s arm.

“Sorry.” Drezden said as he let his mate back him away from his brother.

“How are we going to replace them?” Dominic asked as he paced the room. “I mean, Shar can easily escape, she’s a Shifter. But Josie…”

“Josie is just as strong as any other Fated Mate.” Saffron said as she placed her hand on her brother’s arm. “We will replace them.”

He looked at her, then nodded.

“How are the other Shifters doing?” Raj asked as he looked at Daryl.

Daryl shrugged. “I had Tate teleport them to a Shifter friendly hospital.”

“That’s something we need to get in our community.” Dustin said as he watched his family.

“A teleportation device?” Alec asked with a grin.

Dustin grunted. “A Hospital.”

“That’s a really good idea.” Saffron said with a nod.

“I have a couple of women in my pack who were nurses at one point; before my father made them quit.” Chelsea said as she watched them.

“That will help.” Daryl said with a nod.

“Holy hell.”

Everyone turned to the newcomer, who stood in the doorway, out of breath.

“Sebastian, what are you doing here?” Dustin asked as he stared at the man.

Sabastian smirked. “What? You think a phone call like that, wouldn’t get me to join in the hunt?”

“How did you get here so fast?” Daryl asked.

“Me.”

Everyone turned to the half Demon.

“Kota.” Dylan said as he nodded to his brother-in-law.

Kota moved over to Dylan and lifted him off his feet, by his throat. Everyone in the room started yelling at once.

“Silence!” Kota hollered, and everyone stopped and stared at the half Demon. Kota looked into Dylan’s eyes. “You let my sister get kidnapped, Kraftman.”

Dylan stared into the Demon eyes of his mate’s brother. “There wasn’t much I could do. I was dead.”

Kota smirked, then dropped the Shifter. “That’s all I wanted to hear. So, what do you all know?” He asked as he looked around the room at everyone.

“That’s all you needed to know?” Dustin asked with a growl.

Kota nodded. “Yep.”

“You could have just asked!” Dominic hollered.

Kota shook his head. “Nope. I had to see the truth in his eyes.”

“What? We could have told you that he was dead!” Dustin hollered.

Kota turned to him with his dark green eyes. “Yes. You all could have told me that he was dead; when my sister was taken. But only he could tell me, that he would have stopped them if he was alive. And he would die for her a thousand times, to keep her safe.”

“You read all of that in those few words?” Dustin asked, unbelievingly.

Kota smirked. “Nope. I read it in his eyes. The eyes are the windows to the soul, or did you not know that. I mean, you are a Fated Mate, after all. You should know everything there is to know, about souls.”

Everyone stared at him. Yes, they have seen their mate’s souls in their eyes and known, it was their other half.

“Enough of this, Kota.”

Everyone turned to the booming voice of Kristoph.

“Where’s my daughter?” He asked as he looked at the Alpha.

Daryl looked the man in the eyes. “We’re not sure yet.”

Kristoph nodded. “Then let’s see if we can replace them.”

“How?” Dominic asked.

“Come here.” Kristoph said as he pointed at Dustin.

Dustin moved over to the Elder, not sure what the man wanted from him. Probably a kidney for some ritual or something.

Kristoph’s eyebrow raised at Dustin, then he smiled. “You and Sharissa, were the first Fated Mates to connect, is that correct?”

Dustin nodded.

Kristoph lifted Dustin’s right wrist and skimmed his finger of the word, UNITY, then mumbled a few incoherent words. Everyone sucked in a breath when Dustin’s wrist started to glow.

Kristoph smirked. “Mate. Found.”

“Look, there they are.” Bridget said from the back of her mate’s Dragon.

“They’re moving fast. Nothing is faster than a Shifter.” Zephyrus said with an inner grin.

She laughed. “Swoop down, let them know we’re here!”

Zephyrus dived down towards the pack of Shifters. The sound of large wings had them turning their heads and looking up. Bridget laughed as she waved at her family.

“Bridget!” Tamara hollered from the back of her mate. Drezden growled, but she ignored him.

“Tamara!” Bridget hollered back. “I’m so happy we found you guys. I take it you know where our kidnaped Fated Mates are.”

Tamara nodded. “Just follow us!”

Zephyrus took to the clouds, so he could hide from human eyes, as he flew through them. Luckily, it was a bit cloudier than earlier.

“Well, look what we have here.”

Bridget turned her head and stared at Pearl’s father with wide eyes. He was actually flying, on a fucking flying carpet.

“Elder.” Zephyrus said with a nod.

Kristoph grinned as he nodded to the Dragon.

“Wait, you know the Elder?” Bridget asked, bewildered.

“Of course, he does.” Kristoph said with a smirk. “Did you really think he could hide from the Elders?”

She sighed. “I guess not.”

“How did you two replace out about the kidnapping?” Kristoph asked.

“Biason told me, while I was dead…” Bridget clamped her lips shut.

Kristoph laughed. “Don’t worry. I can smell that you are Human again. Are you wanting to perform the ceremony?”

“Yes, sir.” Zephyrus said with a nod.

Kristoph nodded. “Let’s save my daughter and the other Fated Mates, and we’ll talk.”

“How did you know about the ceremony?” Bridget asked the Elder.

Kristoph smiled at the ex-Vampire. “I’m older than your mate. I have performed a few in my time. And I will be honored to do so again.” He said, then bowed and directed his carpet to fly ahead of them.

“Wow.” Bridget whispered.

Zephyrus chuckled. “I knew him when I was a kid. He was my father’s friend.”

Bridget nodded but said nothing as they followed their fellow Fated Mates, headed to where ever the hunters and Humans were taking her charges and the others.

“Now, when they stop, I am going to shift, and attack the first one to open those doors.” Shar said as she glared at the back doors.

Josie chuckled. “Won’t they be surprised.”

The next two hours felt like an eternity. When the van finally stopped, the girls held their breath as they listened to the men moving around just outside the van.

“Now.” Maddy hissed.

Shar leaned over and started shifting just as the doors flew open, and the face she thought she would never see again, stood there, staring at her, his smile so wicked, she wanted to rip his face off.

“Sharissa.” He said as he looked at her fur-covered body. He shook his head. “What a pity.” He said, and she pounced.

“There’s the van!” Tamara hollered as she pointed at the van, which had stopped.

The group of Shifters stopped and shifted back to their human forms.

“Wait.” Daryl said when Dustin started to head for the van. “Look.” He said as he pointed to the man who seemed to be in charge.

“Mother fucking piece of shitballs!” Dustin hollered with a ferocious growl, as he kicked a rock into the air.

“Hey! You almost hit us!” Bridget hollered as she and Zephyrus landed on the ground beside them.

“Look who it is.” Raj said as he pointed to the man who was opening the back of the van.

“Holy shit.” Bridget said with a gasp.

“Do you think you can help Tate teleport the prisoners out of the van, while we deal with them?” Daryl asked as he looked up at Bridget.

Zephyrus laughed and everyone looked at him.

“I’m not a Vampire anymore.” Bridget whispered.

“She’s not.” Tate said as he looked up at Bridget. “She’s human.”

“How the fuck…never mind…more important things here.” Dustin said as he glared at the man who was talking at the back of the van.

“I’ll stay with Zephyrus.” Bridget whispered as she leaned into her mate’s neck.

“Of all the times for you to turn human.” Dustin grumbled.

“I’m sorry.” Bridget whispered.

“It’s okay.” Tate said with a smile as he looked up at his creation.

He remembers everything now. And he knows why she’s human. He chuckled. Everyone is going to get a kick out of this one.

Dustin growled when he saw his mate jump out of the back of the van, half-human, and half-cougar. “Now!” He hollered, and everyone ran towards the van.

“Guess I’m alone.” Tate said with a grin, then disappeared.

“Let’s help.” Bridget said as she patted her mate’s neck.